Media

Including the excluded: supporting informal workers for more equal cities

Published at: 12 July 2018

A small but growing number of cities are adopting more inclusive approaches to informal workers, offering important lessons for cities seeking a more equal, productive and sustainable future. “Towards a More Equal City”, the fourth working paper of WRI’s Flagship World Resources Report, examines different approaches cities have taken towards supporting informal workers and their livelihood activities.

Informal workers account for 50 to 80 percent of urban employment, generating between 25 and 50 percent of the non-agricultural gross domestic product of the global south. Yet, they are largely excluded from public infrastructure and services, public space and public procurement contracts.

After presenting recent data on the size, composition and contribution of the informal economy, the paper highlights a series of actionable areas for urban change agents to make cities more inclusive and productive.